This very early "Modelbuch" (needlework pattern book) was first published in 1589, most likely in Germany. Originally produced for lacemakers and weavers, these patterns were quickly adapted to counted techniques by needleworkers. You'll find them perfect for your own needlepoint, counted cross stitch, beadwork and filet crochet projects.

A century ago, a folk art enthusiast collected these ornate, highly stylized designs from among a now-dispersed community of ethnic Germans residing in Transylvania. Nearly 200 designs include birds, flowers, mythical creatures, and other motifs in styles ranging from simple to complex and in themes from medieval to modern. Easily adapted to other crafts projects.

A compilation of eight different German modelbucher dating from 1524-1556, with 200 unique plates. Books included are: Schonsperger 1524 and 1529 editions Quentel 1529, 1532, and 1544 editions Egenolff 1535 edition Gülfferich 1553 edition Hoffman 1556 edition The title pages have been translated into English from the original German. The plates of designs have been organized by type (freestyle or charted), and style elements, with duplicated plates noted, and when and where they were republished. Historical embroidered and woven pieces which use identical or similar patterns will inspire and guide you in your use of this book.

This Bulletin discusses the Met's extensive collection of Renaissance textile pattern books, used primarily by women to embroider clothes and accessories. The practice of embroidery was seen as a virtuous endeavor, and textile pattern books, published with great frequency from the 1520s onward, were designed to inspire, instruct, and encourage "beautiful and virtuous women" in this esteemed practice. Straddling the disciplines of early printmaking, ornament design, and textile decoration, these works help shed light on the crucial period when the concept of fashion as a means of distinguishing individual identity became fixed in Western society.

Small needlework pattern booklets became widely available in the mid-to-late 19th century, and offer a wealth of ideas for modern needleworkers. This book reproduces the pages from several antique booklets and includes 46 alphabets in a variety of styles and sizes to give you letters perfect for everything from monograms to creating quotes or sayings. Please note that, like many antique alphabets, the letters "I" and "J" were considered interchangeable and it was common for only one or the other is included, not both- the majority of these alphabets offer the "J". Often the letter "T" can be adapted for use as a modern "I". 70 pages in 8"x10" softcover format.

An astonishing number of medieval garments survive, more-or-less complete. Here the authors present 100 items, ranging from homely to princely. The book’s wide-ranging introduction discusses the circumstances in which garments have survived to the present; sets and collections; constructional and decorative techniques; iconography; inscriptions on garments; style and fashion. Detailed descriptions and discussions explain technique and ornament, investigate alleged associations with famous people (many of them spurious) and demonstrate, even when there are no known associations, how a garment may reveal its own biography: a story that can include repair, remaking, recycling; burial, resurrection and veneration; accidental loss or deliberate deposition. The authors both have many publications in the field of medieval studies, including previous collaborations on medieval textiles such as Medieval Textiles of the British Isles AD 450-1100: an Annotated Bibliography (2007), the Encyclopedia of Medieval Dress and Textiles of the British Isles (2012) and online bibliographies.

This captivating book reproduces arguably the most extraordinary primary source documents in fashion history. Providing a revealing window onto the Renaissance, they chronicle how style-conscious accountant Matthäus Schwarz and his son Veit Konrad experienced life through clothes, and climbed the social ladder through fastidious management of self-image. These bourgeois dandies' agenda resonates as powerfully today as it did in the sixteenth century: one has to dress to impress, and dress to impress they did. The Schwarzes recorded their sartorial triumphs as well as failures in life in a series of portraits by illuminists over 60 years, which have been comprehensively reproduced in full color for the first time. These exquisite illustrations are accompanied by the Schwarzes' fashion-focussed yet at times deeply personal captions, which render the pair the world's first fashion bloggers and pioneers of everyday portraiture. The First Book of Fashion demonstrates how dress – seemingly both ephemeral and trivial – is a potent tool in the right hands. Beyond this, it colorfully recaptures the experience of Renaissance life and reveals the importance of clothing to the aesthetics and every day culture of the period. Historians Ulinka Rublack's and Maria Hayward's insightful commentaries create an unparalleled portrait of sixteenth-century dress that is both strikingly modern and thorough in its description of a true Renaissance fashionista's wardrobe. This first English translation also includes a bespoke pattern by TONY award-winning costume designer and dress historian Jenny Tiramani, from which readers can recreate one of Schwarz's most elaborate and politically significant outfits.